TIME 100 – THE 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD

TIME reveals the 2017 TIME 100, its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The issue features five worldwide covers, each featuring a member of the TIME 100: John Legend, Viola Davis, Jeff Bezos, Melinda Gates, and Riz Ahmed.

To celebrate the release of the Time 100, the People/Entertainment Weekly Network is releasing “The It List: The 100 Most Influential People,” a special episode featuring interviews with Time 100 influencers, as well as Time writers and editors, who share insights about their selections. To watch it, go to People.com/PEN or download the PEN app on mobile or connected-TV devices.

TIME Editor-in-Chief Nancy Gibbs on the 2017 Time 100 List: “Our annual list of the 100 Most Influential People explores the intersection of accomplishment and renown… Some years the list has the feel of a loose, lively dinner party, people who mostly don’t know each other but would get along if they did. This year is a bit more complicated. These past 12 months have sharpened our edges as political debates in the U.S. and Europe, the Middle East and Asia, turned jagged and primal and seem almost perfectly designed to divide us more deeply… And there are several people on the list whose influence is the subject of heated debate, from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to FBI Director James Comey to White House adviser Stephen Bannon. Each has champions and critics; all are shap­ing the course of this turbulent year… In divisive times, it’s tempting to nestle in a comfort zone, surrounded by people who look like us, think like us, pray like us, vote like us. Yet many of the men and women on this year’s list are calling us out, using the technologies that connect us to expand how we see the world.” http://ti.me/2o7dAGL

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2017 TIME 100:

The list features U.S. President Donald Trump, and other U.S. political figures including Stephen Bannon, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Bob Ferguson, John Lewis, James Mattis, Rebekah Mercer, Tom Perez, Reince Priebus, Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, and more.

Activist for LGBT rights, Gavin Grimm, 17, is the youngest person on the list. The oldest person on the list is Sandra Day O’Connor, who is 87.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE TIME 100 PROFILES:

Meryl Streep on Viola Davis: “Viola has carved a place for herself on the Mount Rushmore of the 21st century—new faces emerging from a neglected mountain. And when she tells the story of how she got from where she was to where she is, it is as if she is on a pilgrimage, following her own footsteps and honoring that journey. Her gifts as an artist are unassailable, undeniable, deep and rich and true. But her importance in the culture—her ability to identify it, her willingness to speak about it and take on responsibility for it—is what marks her for greatness.” http://ti.me/2oLug5g

Harry Belafonte on John Legend: “John uses his platform to push for meaningful social change, and the depth of his commitment is to be admired. He has visited prisons to raise awareness about mass incarceration—the new slavery—and he spoke out about the importance of Black Lives Matter at Sankofa’s Many Rivers to Cross festival, which I helped organize. I hope John continues to grow as an artist and an activist.” http://ti.me/2onflLZ

Buzz Aldrin on Jeff Bezos: “Bezos is a serial innovator: with Amazon, he changed the way the retail industry works; and now he’s applying that same spark of creativity to media, with his ownership of the Washington Post and the founding of Amazon Studios. Still, for me it is his zeal for helping humanity return to the moon, settle Mars and reach destinations beyond that is the most thrilling. Just as Bezos watched my journey half a century ago, I am watching his today.” http://ti.me/2oLznCx

Sheryl Sandberg on Melinda Gates: “Her vision for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has helped lift the lives of millions of people. Its work reflects her impatient optimism… Her passionate commitment to empowering women and girls, seen in the foundation’s support for increasing access to contraceptives in developing countries… It’s all there, woven tightly into the DNA of one of the most ambitious and generous philanthropies in history. And with the launch of her new organization, Pivotal Ventures, Melinda has yet another avenue to effect meaningful change.” http://ti.me/2oOKOrH

Lin-Manuel Miranda on Riz Ahmed: “Look, Riz Ahmed has been quietly pursuing every passion and opportunity for many years as an actor (The Road to Guantánamo, Four Lions, Nightcrawler), rapper (“Post 9/11 Blues,” “Englistan”) and activist (raising funds for Syrian refugee children, advocating representation at the House of Commons). To know him is to be inspired, engaged and ready to create alongside him. The year 2016 was when all the seeds he planted bore glorious fruit, and here’s the best part: he’s just getting started.” http://ti.me/2osaNDe

Paul Ryan on Donald Trump: “When so many, including me at times, didn’t see how he could pull it off, Donald Trump won a historic victory. And in becoming the 45th President of the United States, he completely rewrote the rules of politics and reset the course of this country… Up close, I have found a driven, hands-on leader, with the potential to become a truly transformational American figure. I have little doubt that he will, once again, find a way to defy the odds and get it done.”http://ti.me/2oVzDzB

Rahm Emanuel on Reince Priebus: "Reince Priebus and I don’t share much beyond our Midwestern roots and unique names—and, of course, a love of politics. But we will always be in the small fraternity of those who answered a President’s call to serve as White House chief of staff. In both our cases, we assumed the role at the beginning of a new Administration, after a contentious election and transfer of power. We started from scratch.” http://ti.me/2o3Lz2Y

Henry Kissinger on Jared Kushner: “Transitioning the presidency between parties is one of the most complex undertakings in American politics. The change triggers an upheaval in the intangible mechanisms by which Washington runs… As part of the Trump family, Jared is familiar with the intangibles of the President. As a graduate of Harvard and NYU, he has a broad education; as a businessman, a knowledge of administration. All this should help him make a success of his daunting role flying close to the sun.” http://ti.me/2oLz3Uz

Cate Blanchett on Sarah Paulson: “When someone is as unique and unboxable as Sarah Paulson, it takes time for creative spaces to open up that are large and porous enough to hold the depth and complexity of her talent. In remaining true to her distinct voice, she has been at the forefront of a generation of women who are changing the landscape of the film and television industry… When I first met her, on the set of Carol, I was floored by her buoyancy, her irreverence, her left-field sense of humor and her devotion to her craft. You enter a scene with Sarah and it’s game on. She brings with her, in work as in life, the sense that anything is possible. Anything.” http://ti.me/2pC0C0N

Mikhail Gorbachev on Vladimir Putin: “Faced with a crisis that he inherited from his predecessor, President Vladimir Putin succeeded in stabilizing the situation, preserving the Russian state and strengthening its economic position. In the initial phase, certain measures of authoritarian nature—a kind of manual control—were justified. The costs: a diminished parliament, judiciary and civil society and less media independence. With time, the flaws became more evident. Economic growth slowed even before deterioration of relations with the West and sanctions, increasingly affecting lives…. I am convinced that Russia can succeed only through democracy. Russia is ready for political competition, a real multi­party system, fair elections and regular rotation of government. This should define the role and responsibility of the President.” http://ti.me/2oPU7rp

Russell Crowe on Leslie Jones: “She’s a tiger. She’s a lioness. She’s a pussycat… She stalks the audience from the stage and in front of the cameras. Like the comedy greats throughout history, she’s there to give, and what she is prepared to give is all of who she is. All the absurdity and pathos of being human. All the joy of having a heart that big. She’s going to be the person who says out loud what you were thinking, when you didn’t even realize you thought like that.” http://ti.me/2pBXy7K

Taylor Swift on Ed Sheeran: “A few years ago, in a rare moment of admitting feeling defeated, Ed said to me, ‘I’m never going to win a Grammy.’ Yes, you are, I said. You’re going to sweep the whole thing one of these years… A few weeks later… [he] said, ‘You have to hear this.’ It was a song he’d just finished called ‘Thinking Out Loud,’ which would go on to win Song of the Year at the 2016 Grammy Awards.” http://ti.me/2pClTax

Kamala Harris on Elizabeth Warren: “I first met Elizabeth after the 2008 housing crisis, when we battled the big banks and mortgage lenders together. I witnessed a fierce and fearless fighter, the same progressive champion who oversaw the $700 billion bank rescue and fought to create a consumer-protection agency… In these tough times, Elizabeth Warren persists. And America’s hardworking families are lucky that she does.” http://ti.me/2oLA7Yd

Helen Mirren on Ryan Reynolds: “Can the name be real? It is such a perfect movie-star name, like something that could be on a ’40s marquee. How fitting, then, that Ryan Reynolds has the same loose-limbed charm as Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. He’s the Everyman, but somehow with more of everything: wit, elegance, looks and general hunkiness.” http://ti.me/2o3XcH8

Kirsten Gillibrand on Bob Bland, Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, and Linda Sarsour -- the organizers of the Women’s March: “The Women’s March was the most inspiring and transformational moment I’ve ever witnessed in politics. It was a joyful day of clarity and a lightning bolt of awakening for so many women and men who demanded to be heard…This is the rebirth of the women’s movement. These women are the suffragists of our time. And our movement isn’t going away—it’s just the beginning.” http://ti.me/2osjzkC

David Beckham on Neymar: “A series of images I once discovered on the Internet shows me and Neymar together over a decade, from when I was at Real Madrid and he was just a young boy to today. Although it does make me feel my age, it also shows the remarkable progression of a young man who at 25 is well on his way to becoming the best player in the world. It’s been clear ever since he signed for Brazilian team Santos at 17 that Neymar is an outstanding talent, a once-in-a-generation type of footballer who has fans on their feet whenever he gets the ball.”http://ti.me/2oo5FRm

Tina Fey on Donald Glover: “Now Donald is serving you best-case-scenario millennial realness. He embodies his generation’s belief that people can be whatever they want and change what it is they want, at any time. When you’re tired of starring in a network comedy, take a break to pursue your rap career for a Grammy nomination. When you’ve learned all you can from acting in other people’s movies, sit down and create your own piece of art.” http://ti.me/2pRW4CP

Kathryn Bigelow on Barry Jenkins: “Barry Jenkins is one of the rare artists who is willing to look into the deeper places of themselves and society in order to provide a lens through which we may discover the humanity at our core. And he has come to the attention of the world at precisely the right moment, just when we most need someone to give voice to those who have not been heard.” http://ti.me/2oLX6Td

Elton John on James Corden: “James is one of the most hardworking and talented people you will ever meet. But that alone doesn’t explain his extraordinary success. Anyone—friends and fans alike—can tell you that James doesn’t take himself, or others, too seriously. And that’s why he’s able to make us laugh, cry and sing—sometimes all at once.” http://ti.me/2oLxvtq

Harry Reid on Chuck Schumer: “Everyone knows he has a sharp mind for politics, but he is also a deeply principled man who will stand strong for Democratic values. He became a leader under much different circumstances than he imagined, but there is a reason for everything… whatever lies ahead, I have enormous faith in Schumer, and I am confident that he is the right man for this moment.” http://ti.me/2oVzgol

Jane Curtin on Samantha Bee: “[A]s the host of TBS’s Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, she has given voice to all the women who have wanted to take on the political establishment—women like me. But unlike me, she has the courage and the ability to plant those little feet, lean just slightly into the camera and fire off a staggering spray of machine-gun bullet points laced with delicious asides for color. She is as smart as a whip and, as far as I’m concerned, always on the side of right and funny.” http://ti.me/2pRKw2i

Barry Jenkins on Jordan Peele: “… [R]ather than presenting us a mirror, this multihyphenate auteurist shows us more of ourselves than we ever wanted to see, a window through which America is left no choice but to recognize the purgatory of her own sunken place.” http://ti.me/2pChNPQ

Conan O’Brien on Tom Brady: “Tom Brady wrote his own tribute when he won his fifth Superbowl ring and became the greatest quarterback of all time… But Tom’s real achievement is that he willed himself to be. When Tom was drafted in the second-to-last round, he was slow, scrawny, and buried on the depth chart behind Drew Bledsoe, Michael Bishop and the drummer for the Cars. With a monastic diet, intense training, and a relentless, inspiring positivity, Tom built himself from the ground up.” http://ti.me/2pCh3Ks

Cory Booker on John Lewis: “In the 1960s, Lewis was one of the “Big Six” civil rights leaders, and today he is the last remaining person alive who spoke at the March on Washington. In the decades since, he has shown through his tireless work in Congress that service isn’t a sometimes thing but an all-the-time thing; that leadership isn’t a title or position but a way of life; and that love of country isn’t a verbal profession but something that is evidenced daily in how you live and give and love your countrymen and countrywomen.“ http://ti.me/2osrcHP

Oprah Winfrey on Colson Whitehead: “… Colson has a vision about what it means to make art. He didn’t just write a historical novel about slavery and courage and the beating heart of freedom. Although the struggle continues and our challenges are not behind us, the brilliance of his vision is that he reminds us that… we can never give up hope, can never stop trying.” http://ti.me/2o44xqf

Katie Couric on Gretchen Carlson: “Speaking truth to power is never easy. It’s even harder when the whole country is watching. Gretchen Carlson’s very public stand against Fox News blew the lid off a corporate culture that seemed to perpetuate sexual harassment—from the executive suite to the anchor desk… In addition to putting more women in positions of power and replacing the word troublemaker with truth teller, Gretchen also wants men to join the fight. Some have already enlisted.” http://ti.me/2oo6VUw

DJ Khaled on Evan Spiegel: “I met Evan Spiegel for the first time last year. I wanted to look into the eyes of someone who has that kind of vision—who’s willing to go all out to build a company and to make such incredible technology… I hope, now that Snapchat is a public company, it means more wins for everyone, including Evan. Because when Evan wins, we all win.” http://ti.me/2pCaXdf

Martin Scorsese on Margot Robbie: “With Margot, you can recall some classic precedents: the comedic genius of Carole Lombard, for her all-bets-off feistiness; Joan Crawford, for her grounded, hardscrabble toughness; Ida Lupino, for her emotional daring. Margot has all this in addition to a unique audacity that surprises and challenges and just burns like a brand into every character she plays. She clinched her part in The Wolf of Wall Street during our first meeting—by hauling off and giving Leonardo DiCaprio a thunderclap of a slap on the face, an improvisation that stunned us all.” http://ti.me/2pDl7Kt

Naomi Campbell on RuPaul: “As soon as I saw him, I wanted to know where he was going, because that was where I wanted to be. Ru was different. Not just because he had perfect, precise clothes and makeup, or because he was the only man I knew who could look that good in a wig and heels. There were no rough edges to be found. But as I got to know him better, I got to experience firsthand his wit and his intelligence—he’s like an encyclopedia. And his beauty is far beyond skin-deep.” http://ti.me/2pCxqqn

Wendi Murdoch on Ivanka Trump: “Ivanka continues to earn my respect and admiration for how she has chosen to use her new visibility. She has long advocated to empower women and girls and is now leading education initiatives and working to put an end to human trafficking. I am deeply impressed by her courage to leave behind life as she knew it and move her young family to Washington to pursue positive change. My daughters have long looked up to her. Now women and girls around the globe can look up to her too.” http://ti.me/2omQGYc

Lena Dunham on Constance Wu: “On the road with her for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, I was not only able to access a glint of Constance’s humor (the girl is very wicked) but also witness her giving nature, her monstrously big heart, her passion for change and the careful way she lets everyone around her share the challenges of their own identity. This year—when she spoke out against Hollywood’s knack for dismissing sexual misconduct in our great men—she chose honesty and fight over the neutrality so many think they need to maintain in order to further their careers. It was a hallelujah moment.” http://ti.me/2os810Z

Bill English on Theresa May: “In charting the U.K.’s renewed relationship with Europe and the rest of the world, she has met the deepest demand of leadership: to provide direction and reassurance in a time of upheaval and confusion. She is the right person to guide the democratic will of Britain through the complexity of separating the U.K. from the European Union. And in the midst of this highly charged process she can talk with warmth about her concerns for the disenfranchised and disadvantaged, and listen and learn. With gracious determination but without ego, this is remaking a nation.” http://ti.me/2pg8S9Q

Arnold Schwarzenegger on Conor McGregor: “Conor McGregor is more than a fighter, more than an athlete, more than a champion—although, as the first person in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship to hold titles in two different weight divisions at once, he is clearly all of those things. Conor is also the rare personality who has become bigger than his sport. That lean, compact body must struggle to keep his enormous character inside.” http://ti.me/2pCr5eT

Tyra Banks on Ashley Graham: “Every inch of Ashley Graham’s face tells the story of beauty—inside and out. Every word she speaks shouts to all who lack faith in their reflections. Every Graham of her body embraces anyone who ever doubted themselves… Yes, Ashley. You did that. And I am beyond proud, in admiration and in awe of your power and influence over so many people’s self-worth.” http://ti.me/2os8a4x